SB 603 
.D47 
Copy 1 



HOW TEACHERS MAY USE 

PUBLICATIONS ON THE CONTROL OF 

DISEASES AND INSECT ENEMIES OF 

THE HOME GARDEN 



ALVIN DILLE 

Assistant in Agricultural Education 




UNITED STATES. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 68 



Contribution from the States Relations Service 

(Agricultural Instruction) 

A. C. TRUE, Director 



Washington. D. C. September, 1919 



WASHINQTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1918 



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HOW TEACHERS MAY USE PUBLICATIONS ON THE CON- 
TROL OF DISEASES AND INSECT ENEMIES OF THE HOME 
GARDEN.! 



Range of use. — ^All garden sections of the United States. 

Relation to the course of study. — These bulletins may be used in 
connection with the study of plant propagation and especially 
in home gardening; also in correlation with economic nature study 
and other subjects. " 

Topics for study. — I. Preliminary. Plant diseases — causes. In- 
sects — characteristics, kinds as to manner of eating, harmful, useful. 

II. Prevention and control. Prevention — healthy plants, clean seed, 
control of insects that spread plant disease, avoid wounding plants, 
sanitation, crop rotation. Control — fungicides and insecticides ; prep- 
aration, use, cautions. Mechanical means — picking, jarring, brush- 
ing, beating, trapping. Spraying — methods, time, appliances. 

III. General crop pests and diseases. Insect pests and control — 
choice feeders, general feeders, distinction, chief general pests, 
control for same, caution about use of poisons. General crop 
diseases — characteristics of each, general method of control, 

IV. Principal garden crops with insects and diseases which attack 
each, characteristics and control of each. 

Suggestions and questions. — Choose and adapt from these bulletins 
material that is suited to your locality. Use these bulletins for two 
purposes: First, teach how to recognize many of the common insect 
pests and plant diseases; second, teach the best means of prevention 
and control. 

Wliat are the causes of plant diseases ? How may they be spread ? 
Wliat are the characteristics of the true insect ? In how many ways 
do they feed ? Name some common insects of each type of feeders. 
Wliat kind of insecticides is suitable for each type? Wliat useful 
insects are common about the garden ? Wliat other natural enemies 
of insects ? 

Discuss the chief factors in prevention of plant diseases and insect 
pests. Study carefully the formulas for the preparation of fungicides 
and insecticides and note the cautions concerning their use. What 

1 Including among others Farmers' Bulletins Nos. 856, 868, 925, bulletins from State agricultural colleges 
and experiment stations, and extension circulars of the States Relations Service, United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture. 

133953°— 19 r~~ ^^'l 

]UBuArtir OF CCMQf^ESsI 

f^EB.:^- 1931 



Teaching Control of Home Garden Pests. 3 

are the factors of successful spraying ? Name the types of spraying 
and dusting appliances. (For a spray calendar suitable for your 
State, apply to your State agricultural college.) For garden use the 
bucket pumps, the small compressed-air sprayer, and the hand 
sprayer or small atomizer sprayer are best. These types of sprayers 
may usually be purchased of the local hardware dealer, and will 
frequently be loaned for school demonstration. 

Name the types of injurious insects from the standpoint of their 
food plants. Make a list of the general feeders in your locality. 
What general type of control for these insects? Study the general 
crop diseases. Discuss those common to your community. 

niustrative material. — Collect and mount specimens of the garden 
insects: Encourage pupils to make individual collections. For 
specific directions concerning the collecting, preserving, and mounting 
of insects refer to Farmers' Bulletin 606. In like manner for plant 
material refer to Farmers' Bulletin 586. Encourage your pupils to 
learn to identify the common insects and to recognize the plant 
diseases of the garden. Collect and mount pictures of insects and 
plant diseases, others showing effects of each, others showing results 
of control of same. 

Caution : Never risk releasing a new pest in tJie section. 

Make charts and diagrams showing advantages in crop production 
by control of pests and diseases. Make charts showing different 
stages in development of the typical insects. From seed and manu- 
facturers' catalogues collect pictures of various spraying machines. 
Collect all the bulletins on this subject published by the State agri- 
cultural college and experiment station. 

Practical exercises. — As a home project furnishing a basis for the 
practice work each pupil should have a home garden. A first-hand 
study of plant diseases and insect pests should be made in the school 
gardens and in the home gardens. Require reports from the pupils 
in different sections of the district, thus making a sort of survey of 
plant enemies. 

Give practical demonstrations of methods of prevention and con- 
trol. Require the pupils to make a report of the results of such 
practice. Secure cooperation of county agent and State agricultural 
college. Have the students prepare under direction of the teacher 
the Bordeaux mixture, lime-sulphur mixture, and one or more of the 
insecticides of each type. Wlien pupils report appearance of a garden 
disease or pest make a study of it and apply proper control. In each 
case emphasize that spraying for prevention, especially for plant 
diseases, is by far the best practice. Give practical demonstration on 
treating of seeds before planting. Teach importance of clean seed. 

Correlations. — Oral or written reports upon observation or 
practice of insect or plant disease control make good exercises for 



Department Circular 68, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



language. If the work relates to home projects the reports should 
be written and a copy should be kept for permanent record. Com- 
pute money lost on any crop damaged by pests. 

Booklets on the life history of one of the garden pests, illustrated 
by drawings showing different stages in development and accompanied 
by mounted specimens, afford good exercises in language and drawing. 

The construction of charts showing different stages of insects and 
parts of diseased plants will not only furnish good drawing lessons 
but add to the illustrative material. 

In case the insect is not native a report made concerning its native 
home, its introduction into the country, its spread, and attempts at 
control may be written up for a permanent record. 

Have a record kept of insects and diseases observed in the district-. 
List these separately with proper tabulations. The following forms 
are merely suggestive : 

Garden insect pests. 



Insect. 


Stage of 
development. 


Kind of feeder. 


Host. 


Control. 


When found. 


In what garden. 












































Garden plant diseases. 


Host. 


Disease. 


Part of plant 
attacked. 


Control. 


When found . 


In what garden. 







































o 



LIBRPIRY OF CONGRESS 



002 810 148 ft 



